Des Moines Playhouse Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE nature of the dream, Black Iowan Stories, Premieres Feb.25, 2021 Photos available online at https://www.dmplayhouse. com/events/nature-of-the-dream/ Contact: Lee Ann Bakros, Playhouse Marketing Associate, 515.974.5358 nature of the dream, a devised film exploring Black identity in Iowa, will debut at 7:00 PM, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. It will be available for viewing through Sunday, Mar. 7, 2021. Directed by Miriam Randolph and produced by Two Steps to the Left Productions with assistance from The Des Moines Playhouse, the film is an exploration of maintaining Black identity in predominantly white spaces. nature of the dream video-on-demand will be available at dmplayhouse.com. In order to make nature of the dream accessible to as many as possible, viewers can choose from a variety of ticket prices ranging from $5 to $100. The full ticket price will be shared by Urban Dreams and nature artists. Immediately following the film’s Feb. 25 premiere, there will be a live conversation with the creators on The Playhouse’s Facebook page. A Facebook account is not needed to view this conversation, nor do individuals need to purchase the film to participate. The conversation will be recorded and posted on The Playhouse’s website and YouTube channel and on Two Steps to the Left Productions’ website for future viewing. nature of the dream has its origins in devised theatre. Devised theatre is a freeform style in which all members of the creative group work collectively and collaboratively to create a performance completely from scratch. There is no script involved prior to the devising process, but rather the script gets written along the way. Due to COVID-19, this finished product is a film rather than theatre. Randolph said, “We wanted to give Black actors and creatives a safe space to express themselves in ways they may not have had in Iowa prior to this project. Too often Black creatives are ignored or silenced and having a place for us to be artistically free is therapeutic and it enlightens us.” The title nature of the dream is a double entendre of sorts, referring to both how the American dream applies, or does not apply, to Black citizens in America and also to personal dreams that Black Americans have. Using the latter helped form a narrative explanation for how each ensemble member would be able to portray multiple characters in the film. Randolph explained, “There’s a theory that when we sleep, we may all be interconnected in a dream world. In the devising process, one of my actors brought that up and I loved that idea. We all have multiple dreams in our lives, and each plays a different role in each other’s. I wanted to embrace this theory through set design, lighting, and music.” Once the script was developed, Two Steps to the Left Productions filmed in The Playhouse’s Kate Goldman Theatre and at locations around Des Moines including the Des Moines Art Center. Katy Merriman, artistic director of The Playhouse, said working and sharing resources with Two Steps to the Left Productions fit perfectly with the theatre’s mission. “Theatre is storytelling. The Playhouse wants to share more of our community’s stories.” The nature of the dream creative team is led by an ensemble of actors featuring Clifton Antoine, Darrick Burrage, Colo Chanel, Mar Feitelson, Alexandra Gray, Kiera McGregor, Miriam Randolph, Donna Scarfe, and Antonesia Williams. nature of the dream’s production team includes Miriam Randolph (director, producer), Micah Ariel James (dramaturg, co-producer), Kierra Lewis (producer, assistant director), Henry Parizek (producer, music, sound), Ethan Seiser (production manager, lighting), Chase Stine (director of photography), and Alex Wortherly (production manager, lighting). Playhouse staff members Katy Merriman (artistic director), Angela Lampe (costumer, associate artistic director), Tim Harris (technical director), and Virgil Kleinhesselink (master electrician) also provided assistance. In support of the film, Raygun has produced, in collaboration with the nature team, a promotional tee shirt, UPLIFT BLACK VOICES IN ALL SPACES: NATURE OF THE DREAM. A portion of these proceeds will also be donated to Urban Dreams and nature of the dream artists. nature of the dream artists chose to share proceeds from the film and merchandise with Urban Dreams because this film is about uplifting underrepresented voices in Iowa. The team said, “This film comes from the community. It would be wrong to not give back in every way that we can. Urban Dreams advocates for all members of the community, breaking down barriers to success and collaborating with area organizations to overcome obstacles and uplift underserved and underrepresented people.” Founded in 1985, the Urban Dreams vision is to create equal opportunity and access for all to pursue their dreams. The URBAN EXPERIENCE | 2021 53
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